Khris Middleton - CHA (BR)

[Danny Longley]

^{Charlotte Hornets - Khris Middleton}

Year 1: $40,000,000
Year 2: $43,000,000
Year 3: $46,000,000
Year 4: $43,000,000
Year 5: $40,000,000

Despite the Hornets' recent struggles and aging/injury-plagued core, we ultimately found it too hard for Khris to leave that he's won two rings with and has been his home for the last 10 years.

The Knicks were an interesting option with a 4-year max offer and an young core of Evan Mobley/Tyrese Haliburton that could be a force in the future, but haven't proven enough just yet to overcome James' track record and Middleton's history with the Hornets.

[Steve Nash]

Over a 4 year max? Damn...

[Jared Montini]

Booooo

[Ian Noble]

10 years of loyalty you can't really argue with that

[Arvydas Sabonis]

Thanks for good negotiations, but can't really agree this is enough over 4 year max specifically without PO on the last year that could have given opportunity for higher short extension in the end

[Tom Izzo]

If Harden leaves, are the Hornets+Middleton better than the Knicks+Middleton?

Does Khris know something we don't by signing before Harden??

[Andrei Kirilenko]

This is an absolutely insane discount in an off-season where max contracts are flying off the shelves. This is closer to a 25% max than it is to a 35% max lol.

[Tom Izzo]

Jul 8, 2022 12:59:36 GMT Ian Noble said:

10 years of loyalty you can't really argue with that

I feel a little uneasy about leveraging loyalty any more after Josh was able to re sign Jokic. If the Nets were able to retain Jokic with no birds who played for their team for like twenty games after signing Kawhi Leonard away from Damian Lillard and the Bulls and dumping him twice, then I kinda feel like loyalty arguments are null.

But then for Kay they're used to sign a player at a discount 😬

Phew, these things are really tough. I'm just unsure if this is adding up and wondering out loud if we need to refine processes? Or maybe we don't and things are working just fine, I don't know. 

Just feels a little off to me I guess.  

[Ian Noble]

Is this a discount contract though? Seems realistic to me.

[Tom Izzo]

Jul 8, 2022 13:43:52 GMT Ian Noble said:

Is this a discount contract though? Seems realistic to me.

I think the counter argument is that NYK offered a 3+1 max. So Khris would have earned more money in 3 years in that NYK deal and then opted out for one more contract. Post TV spike cap bump, at only...33?... Years old, he'd be prime for one more deal that *could* exceed the remaining amount of this Charlotte deal.

So I think with that in mind, it does seem like a discount. It's a risk though and maybe locking the contract up now is just the right thing to do. 

[Arvydas Sabonis]

Jul 8, 2022 13:43:52 GMT Ian Noble said:

Is this a discount contract though? Seems realistic to me.

It's a lot of money, but only 20mil more over 4 year max when highest potential 5th year would be 56 million.

Also by having no PO on the 5th year, it's very team friendly deal. If Middleton is still max player in 4 years, he could have opted out and getting one extra 1 or 2 year deal starting with 50 something million with new TV deal cap to get some of this discount back.

[Jared Montini]

Jul 8, 2022 13:43:52 GMT Ian Noble said:

Is this a discount contract though? Seems realistic to me.

No PO at all doesn’t show much loyalty as well as only offering 20 mil more total with an extra year. Pretty solid discount tbh

[Ian Noble]

Me and Danny talked about it and I drove the lower salary thing myself. $56m a year for a second-scoring-option guy ready for a decline? Feels to me like the contract is fine. NYK may have offered him the max but I would've advised manually decreasing it to keep it a bit more realistic - not everything has to be a max offer either.

[Arvydas Sabonis]

I honestly think he will maintain his current level for 3-4 more years, which is worth max. Good shooter who is crafty enough to get his spots even without crazy foot speed. Yeah the 5th year might be a bad value, but it's slippery slope starting to "protect" GM's against bad contracts.

Not everything has to be max, but if that's the market value then that's what is realistic and what you have to pay.